Rotary valve



L. A. SMITH ROTARY VALVE Filed Sept. 22. 1920 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. A. SMITH ROTARY VALVE Filed Sept. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

lelhll'l'ED STATES LOTI-IA A. SFIITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROTARY VALVE.

Application filed September 22, 1920. Serial No. 411,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LorrrA A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bolling Field, 'Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is primarily for use in internal combustion engines and relates particularly to rota v valve mechanism adapted to be used therein. The chief problem in the construction of rotary valves is to over- ")me the distorting effect of the intense heat incident to the continuous explosion of the engine. Such distortion results first in the formation of leakage passages through which the gases escape, and upon further overheating to the freezing and distortion of the valve. It is the purpose of my in vention to prevent the overheating and gas leakage described above, and in further ways as will be disclosed in this specification to improve and render more perfectly operable a rotary valve. Features of the improving means will be shown to include a valve body which will be prevented from overheating by virtue of cooling pasages, means for leading the exhaust directly across the valve to the exhaust mainfold, means which will permit a relatively low speed of rotation of the valve body and means providing for the lubrication of the valve.

Further features will be shown in the positioning of the induction port-s for the fuel, and means to properly vaporize said fuel before admitting to the cylinders; means preventing leakage of gases; and means of circulating the cooling fluid.

A detail description of this invention may be found in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of the assembled parts of the internal combustion engine pertaining to this invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the engine cylinder, valve and valve housing showing the exhaust port of the valve in operative connection with the exhaust port of the cylinder. It also shows the cross section of the valve housing on a line 2--2;

Figure 3 is a cross section of the cylinder showing the inlet passage of the valve in operative connection with the inlet port of the cylinder. It is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 shows a partial cross section of the valve housing on the line 4E4: of Figure 2, and also shows the side elevation of the valve body;

Figure 5 is a cross section of the engine on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a cross section on the line 7-7 of Figure 4C.

In the accompanying drawings the device is shown as adapted to a standard four cycle four cylinder engine. The cylindrical water jacketed valve housing 1 may be integral with the water acket of the cylinder 2 and have common water inlets and outlets as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or it may be provided with independent inlet and outlet means as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 7 at 17 and 18.

The common longitudinal axis of the valve housing and the valve body 3 lie in a common vertical plane of the engine cylinders. The valve body is cylindrical in shape and is adapted to rotate freely within the valve housing. It has an annular passage 4 through which the water or other cooling fluid passes and which is in communication through ports 15, located at the extreme ends of said passage, with a water jacket 16 of the valve housin Surrounded by the annular water passage 4-. is a longitudinal passage 5 which receives fuel from the inlet manifold 10 through branches 9 and ports 8 and conveys it to the combustion chamber 12 through the inlet ports or passages 6. It is pointed out that the inlet manifold branches 9 lead to a portion of the valve midway of the two pairs of cylinders, thus providing a mixture of even temperature for all cylinders. It has been observed to be the practice in rotary valves heretofore designed to lead the fuel into the valve at one end of the longitudinal gas chamber, passing over all cylinders and out the far end. Obviously the gas at the inlet end will be less perfectly vaporized by the heat of the water in the water jacket and the heat from the motor than that at the outlet end and an uneven mixture, with the consequent ill effect on the evenness of the explosion, would be the inevitable result. The valve body shows two inlet ports or passages 6 for each cylinder and two exhaust ports 7 for each cylinder. lnlets 8 it is noted in Fig. 6 provide for the opening of the interior of the valve and the manifold four times during each rotation of the cylinder. This provides for a comparatively slow rate of rotation for the valve body inasmuch as it must rotate but once to provide for two explosions for each cylinder. This prevents undue heating of that portion of the valve coming in direct contact With the hot ports 13 and 14 of the cylinder the alternate presentation of the inlet and exhaust ports provides opportunity for the port not in contact to cool. The ports 6 and 7 are shown arranged in. staggered relation to prevent any leakage of gas from one to the other. Extending transversely of the valve body the exhaust port 7 leads the spent gases from the combustion chamber to the exhaust manifold 11. It is to be noted that the exhaust port of the valve body is unrestricted and provides for the unhindered and rapid disposition of the exhaust gases. This constitutes one of the principal features of my invention. In devices of anature similar to my invention it has been proposed to have the exhaust take place through an annular passage surrounding' the inlet passage, Obviously this would result inan unequal heating of the fuel in the fuel passage forthe different cylinders as explained above With reference to the heating effect of the Water on the fuel. Furthermore carefully conducted tests have shown such an arrangement to cause overheating to a prohibitive degree and Where it is attempted to cool rotary valves by Water it has caused excessive boiling of the Water in the valve housing.

20 shows oil grooves of approximately 1/64th inch in depth and approximately /gth inch apart runningcircumferentially of the valve body, While 21 shows grooves of the same dimensions running longitudinally of the valve in the space between the series of grooves 20. These grooves carryoil for the purpose of lubrication and With the oil film assist in sealing the space between the valve body and the valve housing ag ainst'gas leakage. 23shows a fitting" for the insertion of an ignition plug 22.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the operation of the device is as follows:

The gas in the carburetor flows up through the manifold and its branches, through the ports 8 into the valve, flovvs along the gas passages 5 Where it is warmed and vaporized by the heat of the Water in the annular passage 4, hence to the cylinder which is on the intake stroke of the piston, as shown, through ports 6 of the valve and 14: of the cylinder. There it is compressed and fired and on the exhaust stroke rapidly released through the exhaust port lal of the cylinder and 7 of the valve to the exhaust manifold 11.

The Water in the valve passage circulates as described through passages 15 into the main cooling system of the motor.

The valve body is kept from overheating, as shown, by cooling passages containing cooling fluid, a rapid exhaust of spent gases througa a passage capable of transmitting only a minimum amount of heat to the valve, by providing a plurality of inlet and exhaust ports capable of alternate presentation to the cylinder, the source of heat, thus permitting the one not in contact to be cooled, Which provision also permits a slow rate of rotation of the valve with lOW degree of heat incident thereto, andby providing lubrication of the valve body.

The oil rings, 7, along with the fact that the valve body is not distorted by heat operate to prevent gas leakage.

Positioning of the ports to admit the mixture to the interior of the valve together With the arrangement for the heat transfer from the Water to the fuel ensures the proper conditioning of the fuel before admittance to the cylinder.

lVhat I claim is:

i. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a valve housing, a rotary valve body having exhaust passages extending transversely therethrongh, a central longitudinal fuel, intake passage and an annular cooling medium passage surrounding said gas intake passage.

2. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a valve housing, a rotary valve body having unrestricted exhaust. passages extending transversely therethrough, a central longitudinal fuel intake passage, and an annular cooling medium passage surrounding said fuel inlet passage and in immediate juxtaposition thereto.

3. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a valve housing, a rotary valve body having unrestricted exhaust passages extending transversely therethrongh and periodically communicating with an exhaust manifold, a. central longitudinal fuel intake passage, cylinder inlet ports, passagesextending from said fuel intake passage to the exterior f of said valve bodyand adapted to coact With said cylinder inlet ports for-the admission of fuel thereto.

i. A valve for internal combustion engines consisting of a valve housing, a rotary valve body having unrestricted exhaust passages extending transversely therethrough, a central longitudinal fuel intake passage, cylinder inlet ports, passages extending from said fuel intake passage to theexterior of said valve body and'adapted'to coact With said cylinder inlet ports for the admission of fuel thereto, and annular cooling nedium passage surrounding said fuel intake passage.

A valve for internalcombustion engines consisting of a rotary valve body having exlraust passages extend ng transversely therethrough, a central longitudlnal fuel lnta-ke and staggered ports 6 and a passage, cylinder inlet ports, passages extending from said fuel intake passage to the exterior of said valve body and adapted to coact with said cylinder inlet ports for the admission of fuel thereto, an annular cooling medium passage surrounding said fuel intake passage and in immediate juxtaposition thereto.

6. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a water jacketed cylindrical valve housing, a rotary valve mounted in said valve housing, said rotary valve comprising a longitudinal central fuel passage and, concentrically surrounding said fuel passage, an annular cooling fluid passage, an exhaust passage extending transversely through said rotary valve, said inlet and exhaust passages being adapted to be brought in registration with the cylinder port by the rota.- tion of the valve.

7. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a Water jacketed cylindrical valve housing, a rotary valve mounted in said valve housing, said rotary valve comprising a longitudinal central fuel passage and, concentrically surrounding said fuel passage, an annular cooling fluid passage, an exhaust passage extending transversely through said rotary valve, said inlet and exhaust passages being adapted to be brought in registration with the cylinder port by the rotation of the valve, and means for maintaining the water passage of the valve in communication with the water of the water jacket of the valve housing and of the cylinders.

8. in combination in an. internal combustion engine, a water jacketed cylindrical valve housing, a rotary valve mounted in said valve housing, said rotary valve comprising a longitudinal central fuel passage and, concentrically surrounding said fuel passage, an annular cooling fluid passage, an exhaust passage extending transversely through said rotary valve, said inlet and exhaust passages being adapted to be brought in registration with the cylinder port by the rotation of the valve, and means preventing a leakage of gas across said ports.

9. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a water jacketed cylindrical valve housing, a rotary valve mounted in said valve housing, said rotary valve comprising a longitudinal central fuel passage and, concentrically surrounding said fuel passage, an annular cooling fluid passage, an exhaust passage extending transversely through said rotary valve, said inlet and exhaust passages being adapted to be brought in registration with the cylinder port by the rotation of the valve, and means for providing for the lubrication of said valve.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

LOTHA A. SMITH. 

